Hoosiers Open Dual Meet Season at Bloomsburg

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - After a week of training in the wrestling room, the Indiana Hoosiers are ready for mat returns in both competitive formats. The third week of the season brings another eastward slate for Indiana, who opened the year with a solid showing at the Clarion Open. Indiana's dual meet at Bloomsburg, the first between either school on a campus mat, precedes a return to the Navy Classic at the United States Naval Academy.

The Hoosiers, led by returning Navy Classic champ Bryce Martin (165), aim to defend their team title after putting nine on the podium last season. The field is even tougher this year as 31 ranked wrestlers from 17 teams pack the mats at Wesley Brown Fieldhouse.

These sets of matches are the last away from Bloomington before the Hoosiers complete their non-conference schedule over six straight dual opponents in University Gymnsaium. Follow the Navy Classic live with FloArena on FloWrestling.org.

Indiana (0-0) at Bloomsburg (1-1)
Thursday, Nov. 16 • 7:00 p.m. ET • Bloomsburg, Pa. • Nelson Field House
Live Stats

Probable Starters: Indiana at Bloomsburg

Navy Classic Entrants: Indiana University

Elijah Oliver (125), Garrett Pepple (133), Brandon James (133),
Cole Weaver (141), Davey Tunon (149), Austin Holmes (149),
Jake Danishek (157), Bryce Martin (165), Devin Skatzka (174)
Norman Conley (184), Jake Hinz (184), Spencer Irick (184)
Jake Kleimola (197), Fletcher Miller (285), Zach Horwitz (285)

Tournament Notes:
Clash at Clarion
Indiana rumbled into the 2017-18 season on the nation's opening weekend, shedding the offseason rust at the 2017 Clarion Open. Three Hoosiers earned podium finishes, led by Devin Skatzka's (174) runner-up placement. Cole Weaver (141) and Fletcher Miller (285) earned third-place, with Miller scoring three pins on his road to the podium.

All 15 Indiana grapplers in the travel party, with five Hoosiers earning their first career varsity win.

IU Wrestling in the Rankings
Indiana has two wrestlers in the national rankings after two weeks of action. Elijah Oliver (125) maintained his No. 20 spot in the week 3 TrackWrestling polls, while Jake Danishek (157) slid up three spots to No. 21 in the same poll.

Oliver, a two-time NCAA qualifier, began his junior campaign with a 4-2 showing at the Clarion Open. Danishek has yet to wrestle this season but returns after achieving his first NCAA qualification as a sophomore last year.

Battle at Bloomsburg
The meet between Indiana and Bloomsburg is the first since 2006, a 42-0 win for the Hoosiers, and the first-ever matchup on either school's campus mat. Thursday's result will break up the 2-2 all-time deadlock, and the Hoosiers seek their third consecutive win in the series. Indiana's first dual meet of the year is also the first at home for Bloomsburg.

The Huskies entered a tri meet at Appalachian State last week, blanking Davidson before falling to the hosting Mountaineers. Willy Girard (125) and Andy Schutz (133) picked up wins in both meets. Schutz also took a fourth-place finish at the Clarion Open.

Navy Classic Overview
The Hoosiers join a 17-team field this weekend at the United States Naval Academy for the 2017 Navy Classic. The contingency includes 31 wrestlers with national rankings, led by the group of seven ranked athletes at 197 lbs. Princeton's Matthew Kolodzik (149), currently ranked No. 4 in most polls, is the tournament's only returning All-American.

The Hoosiers stood out last season after winning the team championship with two individual champs and nine podium finishers in total. Bryce Martin (1st), Elijah Oliver (3rd), Garrett Pepple (3rd), Devin Skatzka (3rd), Fletcher Miller (4th), Jake Danishek (5th), and Jake Hinz (5th) look for their second appearance on the Navy Classic podium.

Up Next: IU Duals
The Hoosiers will open their 2017-18 home schedule on Sunday, November 26 with the IU Duals at University Gymnasium. Indiana meets three opponents: Eastern Michigan (10am ET), Binghamton (11:30am ET), and Indianapolis (1pm ET). The U-Gym will see a two-mat setup for the first time in years as all four teams will wrestle simultaneously.

Back Points...
• Three Indiana wrestlers could make their dual meet debuts this weekend: Davey Tunon (149), Austin Holmes (149), and Jake Kleimola (197) were named to the list of probable starters.
• As a team, the Hoosiers earned 15 pins on the first day of the season at the Clarion Open.
• Teams expected to be in attendance at the Navy Classic, aside from IU and the tournament hosts: American, Brown, Bucknell, Campbell, The Citadel, Columbia, Delaware Valley, George Mason, Hofstra, Kent State, Ohio, Old Dominion, Oregon State, Princeton, Purdue.
• The Hoosiers could encounter grapplers trained by former IU greats Joe Dubuque and Nate Jackson, both of which are on Princeton's coaching staff. Dubuque is the second two-time NCAA Champion in IU history; Jackson was the first Hoosier to earn All-American honors at multiple weights since 1977.

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